


Behind Paper Fans and Tea Ceremonies

by TheWaterGoddess



Category: Naruto
Genre: Arranged Marriage, But also a civilian, Divorce, F/M, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Gen, M/M, Naruto is a kickass civilian, Naruto is a ninja without a hitai-ate, No adultery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plot will reveaal itself slowly, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2018-12-21 02:18:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11934252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWaterGoddess/pseuds/TheWaterGoddess
Summary: Had Uzumaki Naruto been a civilian, she'd have never appealed to Sasuke in any manner. At all. For civilians were kind of pathetic and useless, to be honest. And then she goes and proves him wrong. Things would have been complicated enough anyway without her being married.Fem!Naruto.NaruSasu/SasuNaru.





	1. Enter! Uchiha Sasuke! Er…and also the blonde civilian!

**Author's Note:**

> My first foray into writing Naruto - mystery and Detective Conan were so much more familiar! But...here I am, giving this a try cause I've become hooked and I want you guys to give this a read! And criticisms! And reviews, yes, that too! :)
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> .
> 
> "Dialogues"
> 
> _'Thoughts'_
> 
> .
> 
> Notes: AU! Point of divergence will be explained later. No war looms. Mostly peaceful. Only small skirmishes and problems to be worried about.

It had been a simple rescue mission.

It _should have been_ a simple rescue mission.

The Fire Daimyo's third son had been kidnapped and they had to get him back. Sasuke knew his team was equipped for this mission; they were only a bunch of fool-hardy nuke-nins who dreamed of making a bit of quick money by demanding ransom of the Daimyo. It should have been simple. Grab the Daimyo's son – Junichiro, his name was – capture the nuke-nins, return.

A team of four chunins – what could go wrong?

Apparently the mere involvement of the Daimyo's son's maid. Some blonde woman by the name of Mibuchi Naruto. What the hell kind of name was it anyway? Naruto? For a woman? But somehow she'd been captured along with the son and had been making herself a nuisance for the nuke-nins which had made them more suspicious and paranoid than usual and it ended up with Sasuke's team being captured.

 _Captured_. His father was going to be furious.

Turning his thoughts away from his father, Sasuke grit his teeth as he finally got rid of his bindings. Seated in the same carriage, the blonde woman – Naruto, yes, Naruto, ugh, why did Sasuke even remember that name? – whimpered, eyes wide when one of the shinobi growled at her for his own amusement. Sasuke resisted the urge to scoff; all her earlier bravado of "don't hurt the young master" had gone right out the window when the ninjas had tied her up and thrown her into the carriage, away from Junichiro.

Hiding his now free wrists from his silent minder, Sasuke stretched his senses slowly to take note of the situation. The carriage seemed to have turned into a narrow and hilly road now and they were going up-hill – not ideal, they'd have to be quick in their escape – his three teammates, Yamanaka Ino, Kanijuro Mitsuri and Hoshiro Fuuka were likewise tied up and placed on top of the carriage under a rain-proof tarp to hide them from any other travellers. Sasuke had been given a special privilege in the hopes that seeing their second hostage in a dangerous situation would make him pause; clearly, they didn't know Uchiha Sasuke well.

The Daimyo's son was made to walk among the rest of the party along-side the carriage, disguised under a heavy cloak and pretending to be the nephew of one of the shinobi. There had been nary a sound from the child, Sasuke could sympathise slightly – Junichiro was barely eight. And a civilian on top of that.

' _Which brings me back to the idiot blonde_ ,' Sasuke scowled, ' _I'd leave her as collateral, but the Hokage won't be pleased about that. And the Daimyo's son would be upset, which would make the Daimyo upset. Tch. To borrow a phrase from Nara, this is troublesome.'_

As it turned out, being covered under a tarp gave the chunins an added advantage of being hidden and Ino used a clan technique to quickly inform Sasuke mentally that they were free from their bonds and awaiting his signal to attack.

Another whimper from the blonde as the shinobi inside the carriage sifted, his long-sword tilting precariously towards her from where it was perched on his shoulder. Sasuke tried to take in deep breath, praying for patience – _goddammit, woman, stay quiet and let me think, will you?_

Suddenly, the carriage lurched, a wheel sinking into a rut in the pathway as the hill turned steeper. Unconscious use of chakra to stick to surfaces, be they horizontal or vertical, ensured that the shinobi remained still in their positions. The civilian, on the other hand, yelped as she slid from her corner and right into the nuke-nin's lap.

For a second, both remained shocked still and then, too fast for Sasuke's eyes to capture, the blonde had crashed her head onto the ninja's. Still reeling from the head-butt, he couldn't stop the following kick to his groin that even made the usually stoic Uchiha wince. And before any of them could comprehend, she'd grabbed the long-sword from where it had fallen and rammed shoulder-first into the door of the carriage, sending it flying open and her tumbling down the slope.

Sasuke had not managed to signal his team, but they caught on quick enough what with all the ruckus the blonde had made inside the carriage. Junichiro, possibly spurred on by his maid's act of recklessness, had pulled away sharply from his minder in the ensuing chaos and run towards her. The ninja's path was quickly cut off by Ino before he could pursue the Daimyo's son and Sasuke systematically took down their opponents, fuelled by his annoyance regarding the way this whole mission had gone.

As he tied up the last of the nuke-nin with ninja wire, he turned to see the blonde hold the long-sword with unsteady fingers, poised as if to make sure none could harm the brat cowering behind her skirts.

Sasuke scoffed, "A weapon you do not know to use is more harmful to yourself than others. Put it down. And I hope you can at least recognise the symbol of your own village carved onto our hitai-ate."

"She's just scared, Sasuke-kun," Ino tried to pacify as Fuuka walked closer, hands up in a non-threating gesture and attempted to calm them down and explain the situation, "Besides," she whispered, "she must be new to the Daimyo's court. Give her some time, she's only a civvie."

The Uchiha grunted in vague acknowledgement, yet all the way back, something niggled his mind. For a mere civilian, she had been pretty quick to knock out the ninja inside the carriage. Especially since she'd seemed so terrified of him moments ago.

Was it simply adrenaline? No, adrenaline didn't act so quickly, not when she'd been so shocked to find herself on the shinobi's lap in the first place. Or was it due to her strong loyalty to her master? Hmm, should not be so, if Yamanaka thought her to be new in the Daimyo's court and Yamanaka's were rarely wrong in profiling a person.

Sasuke's eyes trailed to the blonde walking in the centre of the group. Junichiro was perched upon her back, clinging tightly to his "nee-chan" and absolutely refusing to let go even for a quick medical check-up. It resulted in Fuuka trailing behind them to keep an eye on the brat and make sure neither was injured.

Sasuke sighed, he really wanted to go home and take a nap. Or ask his brother about his missions. With Itachi having recently retired from ANBU and taking up the duties of a regular jounin, the Sandaime had been quick to saddle him with a genin team. It made for quite hilarious mission reports, certainly.

With a small smirk as he imagined Itachi's team returning from weeding out some old crone's garden, Sasuke pushed the blonde out of his mind. The civilian had occupied his mind too much already.


	2. Civilian or Spy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know - late! Hopefully the next one will be out sooner. Till then...Enjoy!

"Being a part of the Twelve Ninja Guardians is an honor. You're tasked with the direct protection of the Daimyo and you will be in his complete confidence. Getting invited to the capital is only the first step, but with your skills, a promotion is nearly guaranteed –"

Sasuke wasn't in the habit of tuning people out when they talked, but Sarutobi Asuma was taking his 'job' rather too seriously. He knew all too well what this stemmed from though; he and Sakura had been bestowed with 'extra attention' one too many times due to the uneven number of graduates in their year. And since there were no extra genin to pair off with, they had been assigned to mentors. Himself with Hatake Kakashi – chronically late, blatant pervert and mysterious shinobi – while Sakura had been assigned to Mitarashi Anko – Snake Mistress, dango fanatic and generally creepy kunoichi.

Due to this, they often got put into the other genin teams of their graduating batch, to cultivate teamwork. Asuma and Kurenai had watched over them often enough on missions to act as their de-facto sensei when Kakashi was unavailable – _like now_.

"– the rank you'll hold and the level of secrecy to be maintained will be similar enough to an ANBU's, so conduct yourself in the same fashion. Lastly," his voice turned serious here and Sasuke stopped to listen, "just remember that what happens in the Daimyo's court, stays in the Daimyo's court. I don't have to tell you that this means _no_ gossiping, _no_ whispering; you report directly to the Daimyo."

"I'm aware of that, yes," Sasuke said after a beat.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder for a brief second, "We're proud of you, Sasuke. And your brother – he was ecstatic! Don't let your father's disapproval cloud your judgement, the Konoha Police Force isn't the be-all end-all of your career. Accept this offer and go to the capital. You have the potential to be great, so take this chance!"

Sasuke's throat dried up, he'd never been emotionally close to any of the jounin-sensei and it was heartwarming to see that they cared. That they sought his well-being without forcing their decisions upon him. ( _Unlike your father,_ a voice whispered in his mind).

He nodded, "Yeah, I will."

Then, in a whirl of leaves, he flickered away.

* * *

The invitation to become a part of the Daimyo's guard had come as a surprise, but he supposed that after rescuing the Daimyo's son, his team had been brought under direct scrutiny of the nation's ruler. The name of his clan might have played a role too, in getting a recommendation.

He'd been proud of himself, and he'd hoped – rather foolishly, he surmised – that for once, just once, his father might have been so too. That he would stop expecting Sasuke to be like his brother, because no matter how prodigious he'd turned out to be after being mentored under Kakashi, he would simply _never_ be shinobi-at-seven, ANBU-at-thirteen, Itachi.

So, for the first time, he'd disregarded his father's "advice" and done what Asuma had suggested – taken the offer and moved to the capital.

Even so, Sasuke knew that his job was simply going to be an overly-glorified patrol mission. Not only was he new to the squad under protection detail, to be given too many missions, but also… Not _that_ many people were foolish to attack the Daimyo in his own home – in the fortified, heavily guarded mansion – right?

_Wrong._

Two weeks in and Sasuke and his team had foiled four attempts to sneak into the mansion, one poisoning incident and thwarted another possible kidnapping. The reason? The Daimyo was a fool; he trusted all too easily and placed a great deal of faith in his hired shinobi to protect them. And okay, that last part was beneficial to Konoha, but seriously, Sasuke had hoped for the leader of their country to be a bit more shrewd. Especially since he was to become a grandfather soon – shouldn't penetrating the mansion be tougher at such times?

(Also, not to be forgotten! He'd done a personal favour to all of Konoha's genin by locking the demon cat, Tora, in a cage for a whole two days. So, okay, his job wasn't _that_ boring.)

Well, back to what he was doing currently – lounging up on a tree branch, keeping an eye over the Daimyo's first son and his pregnant wife as they strolled through their private garden. The child was due in two months now and protection had been adjusted accordingly. Sasuke would be glad when he'd be switched back to guard duty in the court; at least the proceedings there were more amusing than _this_.

Half an hour later and the couple had decided to seat themselves on a bench. Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. _So domestic_. He had no intention of watching any longer. His ears could do the rest of the work – ah, a pair of footsteps. Light feet, small heels; a woman, possibly a maid.

"Kaori-sama, it is time for your check up."

Sasuke blinked and sat up straight at that. The voice...it was _hers!_

"Very well," the expectant mother replied, "tell Mitsuki-sensei to wait in the usual room. We shall come shortly."

 _'What in the world is she – oh, yes, how could I forget,_ ' Sasuke sighed, ' _Naruto's a maid here._ '

To be perfectly honest, the blonde woman had completely slipped out of his mind. What with the increasing family arguments, his departure to the capital, adjusting to life outside Konoha; the puzzle surrounding the woman had taken a backseat. Even so, it was still surprising that he remembered her name. Sasuke had an excellent memory, but it was reserved only for relevant details, not for retaining names of air-headed civilians who couldn't keep themselves out of trouble.

As the husband and wife made their way inside, he saw another one of their guard drop down from his perch to escort them. Sasuke and his two other teammates stayed in the shadows, as per procedure. Just then, for some reason, he was quite sure that Naruto's eyes had flickered towards him, towards all of the hidden shinobi. In one quick second, it was as if she had taken stock of them all, counted their numbers, categorized the threat, shifted her plan –

Wait.. _.what?_

Sasuke's step faltered only for the slightest moment at the turn his thoughts took, before he regained his stride.

 _'I keep thinking of her as a civilian, but… suppose she is not?'_ Sasuke frowned, wondering briefly if he was overthinking it. But certain things popped up in his mind, _'Like, that time back then, during the kidnapping, her reaction had been unnaturally quick for someone with no shinobi training. Is it… possible? Could she be… a spy?'_

Another horrifying thought occurred to him then – all those incidences, all the attempts of infiltration inside the Daimyo's house and attempts at assassination, what if they had been trials? Merely something to check the defences with? The Daimyo's guards couldn't have been so lax _all_ those times...

It could all be a coincidence, naturally, but the first thing one learnt as a ninja was that there were no coincidences in their line of work.

 _'It could be a long shot,'_ Sasuke determined, _'but the thought merits consideration. Her behaviour comes off as suspicious when we take into account that she is only a maid at the palace. I will have to take this to the squad cap –'_

_'...remember, what happens at the Daimyo's court, stays in the Daimyo's court...'_

_'...no gossiping, no whispering; you report directly to the Daimyo...'_

Sasuke sucked in an involuntary gasp, recollecting Asuma's words. Had this been what he'd meant? When you have a suspicion, you cannot trust anyone but the Daimyo himself. So reporting to the squad captain was out of the question – work under the assumption that all sources are compromised.

Perhaps, there was always a chance, that Sasuke was blowing this out of proportion. Naruto was only a simple chambermaid, personal attendant of Junichiro, third son of the Daimyo. The blonde could be just overly cautious and highly intuitive. Full stop. No conspiracies, no ulterior motives.

Then, on the other side of the coin, it was always possible that he was _right_.

Either way, he couldn't go to the Daimyo right now, not with this paltry information and mere conjectures and "may have been's". He'd need proof, solid proof. It was not the right time to take action, but collect information. Beginning now.

Sasuke focused on the present, coming out of his thoughts to see Dr Mitsuki finish her examination.

"The baby's doing well," the doctor smiled at the couple, "I'll come in once more at the end of the month for a last check up. Then we shall meet when the child is due. Also, I shall leave the choice of midwife to the Daimyo's discretion – "

"Naruto shall be assisting with the birth," Shuichiro, the Daimyo's first son, declared, "Otou-sama has also agreed with my choice. With our enemies taking a larger interest in the court drama as Kaori is about to give birth, we decided not to call in anyone from outside."

Naruto bowed, "I am trained, Mitsuki-sensei, and will be available when Kaori-sama calls for me."

"Well, that's all then."

The doctor was seen off by a chamber guard and Sasuke and his three teammates took up positions around them once more. Meanwhile, the Uchiha couldn't help but think how trusted Naruto was already.

_'Didn't Ino say she was new to the court? Barely weeks, at that! And to be asked to perform the duties of a midwife...'_

Sharingan red eyes tracked the blonde's departure with unusual intensity – no matter what, Naruto merited deeper scrutiny now.


	3. One step forward, and two back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Here we go! Not much plot advancement and still awfully shot, but I'm trying for it to be so on purpose. I was hoping for this to go in 'small flashes of time' fashion. No idea how I'm succeeding so far.
> 
> Enjoy!

Uchiha Sasuke had spent a month at the Daimyo's mansion by now, the last two weeks in which he'd taken to following the chambermaid Mibuchi Naruto with great discretion. And to be quite honest, he was doubting his own suspicions now.

So far, the only places the woman had visited was the personal rooms of Junichiro-sama, the maid's quarters and the kitchens. The major part of her day was spent around the young master, dutifully following him everywhere he went. He had been slightly surprised to know that she also sat in during his study time with the royal tutor, but dismissed it as the idiosyncrasies of the nobles.

' _Really, what should have I expected?'_ Sasuke thought morosely as he trudged back to their base.

The shinobi serving the Daimyo had been given a whole five story house to themselves at the edge of the grounds. It was a perfect place to set up headquarters; switching for border patrols and keeping an eye on every entrance to the property was also easier due to the minute distance they had to travel. Plus, they could take to the roofs and scout the woods better by being so close to the edge. No sane ninja liked _walking_ when they could jump across trees.

"Sasuke! Change in patrol timings," Misaki called out as he entered the house, "Team 2 will have to go out with the Daimyo's serving staff to the village this evening!"

Sasuke blinked. Then he sighed, taking a seat at the kitchen table, "My team was to be stationed in the court today. Not follow a bunch of gossipping maids to the market."

Misaki grinned at his tone, "Yeah, _no_. The old geezer's gonna be having a meeting with the Hokage today. All shinobi are to be outta the court, only the Hokage's guards allowed."

Ryo snorted, entering the room and nosing around in the fridge, "It's the usual. A bit of showing off, ANBU vs Twelve Ninja Guardians."

"I never knew that people took it so seriously," Sasuke commented dryly. "And make yourself useful, Ryo, pass me a tomato."

" _We_ don't," Ryo corrected, gulping down half a bottle of water in a go and tossed the requested tomato at the raven, " _They_ do – there's a difference. If your team returns early enough, you might even see it. A couple of the Ninja Guardians are gonna be on patrol duty today – the tension between them is insane!"

"Hn," Sasuke replied, narrowing his eyes as he bit into the red fruit. Then, he tuned out of the conversation and the others let him be, by now knowing his methods of recuperation after a tiring morning.

Sasuke spared a thought to wonder why the Hokage was coming in person. All the way to the capital to meet with the Daimyo when he could send a message with those "trusted" ANBU. Then, deciding he cared little about it, he cast it out of his mind.

* * *

"Why are we doing this again?"

Haruka, one of the two kunoichi in Sasuke's team, groaned as they walked through the market crowd, a bag of groceries in one hand, the other intertwined with his. Sasuke agreed with her statement, but refrained from saying so. Hidden discreetly behind their hair, a communication device crackled in their ear.

"To make sure none of the servants gets switched by imposters and sneak in."

"I didn't mean that," Haruka grumbled, "Why do we have to dress up as civvies? Can't we do the whole secrecy, cloak and dagger thing? This yukata is terribly hot, I'm _boiling_ here –"

"– put up with it, koi," another voice, softer, sweeter – Kouki's – answered.

Sasuke automatically tuned the following conversation out. The two lovers, Haruka and her girlfriend, Kouki, had absolutely no shame. From flirting to kissing to groping; they had no problem doing it in full view of their teammates. Sasuke supposed he should be thankful they were serious on missions, at least; but they got so sappy that most of the time, he and Touka (his only sane and not-driven-by-libido teammate) often pretended not to hear any of the saccharine and sweet talks exchanged on the mics.

Haruka curled her arm around Sasuke's, blindly letting him lead her as she continued a conversation in soft tones. To others, it might just appear as his companion was talking to him, so he found no reason to stop her; she was a damn good kunoichi, both of her and Kouki, so he knew that they were still alert and aware of their surroundings.

"– and when I go into the room, there he is! Lazing about like a good for nothing lay-about!" An elderly maid's voice traveled back to them.

One of the others must have replied something, because there was a chorus of laughter following it.

Sasuke gave them a mental head count, _'One, two, three...six...where are the other two?'_ A movement in the corner of his eye showed them lagging behind, one of them having broken the strap of her sandals.

"Ne, Naruto-chan, help Chie-chan out a sec. You can fix her sandal, no?" A maid called out.

In an almost involuntary movement, Sasuke's head turned to track Naruto when her name was called out. Sasuke disliked how attuned he was to her… though, he swallowed, that was only natural since he'd been spying on her, right?

"What the _hell_ did you do? Twist your ankle in a rut? Geez, be more careful, wont'cha?"

Sasuke bit back a snort. For being a maid in the Daimyo's mansion, she sure was crass, completely fine with speaking in an "unladylike" manner.

"The rest of you go ahead," Naruto said, holding the sandal up for better inspection, "Chie-chan and I will catch up soon. The rice store closes in half an hour, ya know."

When the rest of them agreed and walked on, Haruka detached herself to follow them, leaving Sasuke behind. Convenient, the Uchiha thought, wondering if he might finally see her doing something suspicious. It would be the perfect opportunity to do so, after all, having fewer people to shake off if she wanted to disappear for a bit.

However, Naruto and Chie did not part ways. The blonde led her fellow maid to a bench placed outside a dango stall and set about fixing the broken sandal. Sasuke took up an inconspicuous post next to them, shamelessly eavesdropping.

"You can sew pretty well, Naruto-chan," Chie said, "I never know what to do about broken sandals. Just go to the cobbler and hope he fixes it."

"Well," Naruto shrugged, pulling out a needle and thread from an inner pocket and using her teeth to cut off an appropriate length, "Shinji keeps tearing his clothes, ya know. And burning them. So it was much easier, and cheaper to sew them than buy new ones." She grinned, "If I didn't know myself what a good cook he was, I'd say he was a novice with how easily he tears his tunic."

"Did you learn to sew for him?" Chie gasped, stars in her eyes.

Sasuke sighed, the thought that any woman would learn to sew (or become proficient in 'domestic' work) just for a man, was something he never understood. In shinobi lifestyle, any skill you had could prove useful someday, why not learn if you could?

Naruto laughed, "No! I knew how to before I married him. I used to work part-time with the seamstress in my village, ya know. Picked up a few useful skills here and there."

' _Married?!'_ Sasuke choked on air, ' _That – that... air-headed, blonde-haired bimbo – and married?'_

Sasuke didn't know why this shocked him so much. Perhaps it was because she was so young…? How old was she, though? He'd guess somewhere close to his age group…

"It's been a year since your marriage, right?" Chie asked, watching as the blonde stitched a final loop and tugged hard to tighten the string.

"Eight months," Naruto corrected, cutting the thread off with her teeth once more, "I moved here because he works for the Daimyo, ya know. It would be better to find a job here than back home."

"So he helped you land this job then?"

"Something like that – there, wear it now."

Accepting her footwear, the two ladies stood up to continue their shopping, "I was a bit surprised to know you were Shinji-kun's wife...I mean, both of you are so young! He's only twenty and you're… what, eighteen?"

"Seventeen," Naruto corrected, "Got hitched when I was sixteen."

' _I was right,'_ Sasuke mused, ' _She is the same age as me. But, sixteen is an early time to get married, especially for a civilian. Though...she could have married this Shinji fellow because he was a cook in the Daimyo's kitchens. It puts her in a good position if she wanted to get close to the noble family... Very less info for now, however, to make any sense.'_

Chie apparently had the same concerns, for when she voiced them, Naruto shook her head, "Age didn't really matter. Shinji's a good guy and I knew I wanted to get married to him, so I did."

"Hmm, well, I'm not saying anything, Naruto-chan," Chie smiled, "It was just an observation. You see plenty of people marrying early in shinobi villages, but that's not so much out of it...short life, with what they do. Get married early, they do, you never know you may die. Why, my brother lives in Konoha – fell in love with a kunoichi when she'd come to our village for a mission. So he followed her back and got married! Can't say no to true love, my old man couldn't. And he was so young too! Five years younger than me, and see, I'm twenty-five and still a spinster…"

Chie prattled on a bit more about her brother and Sasuke soon lost interest. Haruka met up with him when they joined the group and he went back to performing his duties on auto pilot. For some reason, he couldn't shake off the feeling of something being wrong. Something about the way Naruto had said what she had –

' _...Shinji's a good guy…'_

A young woman. Seventeen years old. And married.

' _...and I knew I wanted to get married to him…'_

Happily. Love marriage, by all accounts. No family pressure, either, doesn't look like.

' _...so I did…'_

Her own choice. She _desired_ to marry him. Independent. Family, possibly deceased.

 _Yet_. Yet...there was something. Something about the way she said that one sentence that put Sasuke on edge.

What was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts, please! I'm in great need of constructive criticism here - how was this chp? Let me know!


	4. Cloak and Dagger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the fourth chapter! Okay guys, I need feedback. NEED. I'm not sure how this is being taken in by you all, but I hope you're liking it! I keep wondering if people read it and feel too confused or something, since the chapters are so short...?
> 
> SO, please, please let me know! Review guys - it takes only a minute, but greatly encourages me to write!
> 
> Enjoy!

Sasuke perched upon the bough of a tree, curious despite himself to see what the legendary competition between the Twelve Ninja Guardians and the ANBU was like. Asuma had been a part of that group at one time after all, and Sasuke had nothing better to do. He'd put away the information revealed about Naruto in the back of his mind for later perusal – it was not like he could understand what had made him suspicious, so it was best not to think of it.

"They're coming," Ryo muttered, seated on the branch above.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. They weren't in his field of vision just yet, but that was almost expected – Ryo was a sensor type shinobi.

Sasuke on the other hand... _'Sharingan!'_

A quick burst of chakra and blood red eyes looked into the distance. He could make out seven – no wait, _eight_ – chakra signatures walking towards the gates. _Walking_. At normal civilian pace.

The Uchiha nearly groaned, what they didn't have to do to main diplomatic relations with the Daimyo, really. Honestly, to not even opt shinobi travel method while inside the personal property of the Daimyo. So, with no other option, he waited patiently for them to come into view.

"Huh, that's odd," Ryo said and continued without further prompting, "Jiraiya-sama's with the Sandaime. He doesn't usually come to meetings with the Daimyo."

"Jiraiya of the Sannin?" Sasuke asked, "He's Konoha's spymaster, isn't he? Doesn't he come to talk about any security threats?"

"Nope. That guy's notorious for staying out of politics despite how deeply connected he is with them. Probably met the Daimyo only once – to get awarded after the Third Shinobi War, along with Tsunade-sama and Orochimaru-sama."

"Hmm," Sasuke nodded, "But, wait. There's eight of them. If one is Jiraiya of the Sannin, who're the others? There must be only five ANBU along with the Hokage, right?"

"That's true," Ryo agreed, "Got no idea though. I know the Hokage's chakra signature. And I've met Jiraiya-sama a couple of times back in Konoha to recognise his. But with all the secrecy around ANBU, I never know who's who."

A few moments later, the mentioned shinobi appeared into view. Sasuke was right, there were only five ANBU. Jiraiya was easily recognised, with his white hair and large scroll slung behind his back. The Hokage and his ANBU wore travelling cloaks, but the masks gave the ANBU away. The Kage-hat slung behind his shoulder ruled out the Sandaime. The last one left was the one in a black cloak. It looked like a standard shinobi cloak, completely covering the face with the hood and having no sleeves. It stopped just above their ankles, but plain sandals adorned the person's feet. Sasuke couldn't make out anything of them.

"Well? Do you recognise them?"

"No."

"But they're definitely a shinobi, right?"

"Naturally," Ryo looked down at him, "Civilian chakra signatures are not so well developed and most of the time they don't even register because they don't use chakra daily for their coils to be infused with chakra."

"I'm not doubting you," Sasuke said, "but it brings forth questions, doesn't it? If the eighth shinobi came along with the Sandaime, then that's okay. But if she didn't, does that mean...what does that mean?"

"She?"

Sasuke glanced up, startled, "She?"

"Yeah," Ryo said, "You just said 'she'. What makes you think it's a woman? Can you see her coils? I thought only the Byakugan could do that –"

"No," Sasuke interrupted, "It must have been a slip of tongue. Just thinking of something else."

"Oh, well, anyway – look," Ryo nodded towards the troop as the neared the gates.

Ryo was right, the tension in the air was something else entirely. It reminded him of his Chunin exam, but only on a much different scale. Jiraiya seemed to laugh heartily, clapping one of the Guardians on the shoulder as the Hokage spoke briefly to them. But it didn't hold his attention anymore. The rivalry between the Guardians and the ANBU could burn in hell – his red eyes were more busy following the lone shinobi that had begun tracing their steps back to the mansion. Away from the Hokage and his entourage.

' _A shinobi, but not one of the Daimyo's guards,_ ' Sasuke deduced, ' _Ryo would have recognised the chakra signature otherwise.'_

Since the Sharingan could only detect chakra of shinobi and not distinguish between them, Sasuke had no way of confirming. But for a small, infinitesimal moment, he had imagined – for some inexplicable reason, only for a second – that the cloaked individual was… Naruto.

' _I'm contradicting my own theories here, but what would be more ominous? Naruto being a spy for an enemy and the presence of an unknown ninja within the Daimyo's property, that may or may not work for the Hokage? Or Naruto being a spy for the Hokage and an unknown ninja roaming about the property, who is responsible for those attacks?_

Sasuke paused here. If the cloaked individual and Naruto were separate people, then he could at least be sure that they were not about to cause harm, considering they had been with the Hokage. But if the unknown shinobi was Naruto – whoa! Hold on… Hadn't he sensed _eight_ chakra signatures? But while with Naruto, the couple of times he'd activated his doujutsu, she'd seemed like any other ordinary civilian.

_'This is getting confusing. It seems like the time for shadowing from afar is done. I will have to be closer to find out more about her.'_

"Oi, Sasuke!"

"Misaki, what is it?"

The woman glanced down from the first floor of their headquarters – the floor that housed their meeting and recon rooms.

"That doctor from the village is coming over tomorrow, we just got the message. You're to be her escort."

"Doctor? To check up on the expecting mother?"

Now that he gave it some thought, the doctor had been scheduled to arrive at the end of the month. Time certainly flew; to Sasuke, it seemed like only yesterday when he'd first gotten leery of the blonde maid.

"Yup."

Sasuke frowned, "We usually leave an entire team to guard them. What is my role there?"

Misaki shook her head, "No; we'll discuss this again in the meeting early morning, tomorrow, but there's been a change of plans. We might have to spread out a bit –"

"Does this have to do something with the Hokage personally coming here?"

The kunoichi blinked, a glimmer of surprise and respect in her eyes.

"Ah, you catch on quick. There's a possibility of an attack, so we're sparing the least amount possible on guarding the staff and such."

"The protection of the Daimyo's unborn grandson is a not important enough to spare more than one shinobi?"

Misaki sighed at the raven's suspicions, "You're not wrong, but some of these revisions in guard postings have been made by Jiraiya-sama himself. And has the Daimyo's stamp of approval. They believe you'll be enough to guard Kaori-sama." She grinned, "Isn't that good for you? Getting recognised pretty quick for a newbie!"

Sasuke simply grunted and stalked off to his room. He shared it with his teammate, Touka, but it seemed the other man had not yet returned. Just as well for the Uchiha; he needed some uninterrupted time for himself, to think and re-evaluate his conclusions.

Sleep did not come easy to the raven. While his appointment as the guard for Kaori-san did seem like a recognition of his skills, it certainly did not _feel_ like one. Because, it only served to remind him now, more than ever, who was selected for the role of a midwife – _Mibuchi Naruto_. Was she in such confidence of the Daimyo that he believed a single guard to be enough? Or did this mean that Naruto was in fact a spy, but _for_ Konoha and not an enemy faction?

No matter which it was, it seemed that Sasuke would be getting a rather good opportunity to confirm his suspicions.

* * *

"Well?"

"Nothing has changed in the past month, you should know that by now. I'm still the midwife when Kaori-sama gives birth."

" _Good_. Good job, Naruto."

The blonde woman smiled, "Don't forget our deal, though. Twenty thousand ryo."

"Twe-twenty?! We'd agreed on ten! Ten thousand is more than enough for the job!"

"Excuse me?" Naruto narrowed her eyes, "I'm the best damn actress you'll get in all the five elemental nations! How many people could have gotten in the Daimyo's confidence in only a couple of months?"

"Well, now that you say it, it does sound incredulous to me...how do I know you're not going to betray me?"

"I work for money. Pay me as I demand, and I'm on your side. Besides, no one else knows I'm a spy – how would they even buy my loyalty?"

"You –! Damn woman... _fifteen_ thousand."

"Twenty. And not a ryo less."

"I see no reason –"

"The Hokage came to the court today, ya know? Your piss-poor attempts at infiltration have been brought to his notice. The guard rotation has changed. The to-be-parents will now have a guard 24/7. This means I'll have to be more cautious than I was before!"

"Wha –? The _Hokage_? I thought the guards only report to the Daimyo! Were you the one –?!"

Naruto scoffed. "Don't be an idiot! Why would I even tell you about this if I sold you out? Obviously, Jiraiya of the Sannin still has his own plants in the mansion. One of them must have reported to Konoha. And even I'm not so foolish to comb the entire palace for a single spy of Konoha's spymaster. Now," She narrowed her eyes, "Twenty, or the deal's off. And you can plan your own way into the palace."

"...Okay. _Okay_ , twenty thousand ryo! Just keep giving me regular reports."

Naruto smirked, "Don't worry. I haven't failed a single mission till now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was this chp? Let me know! About Naruto's role here - I'd love to hear what your thoughts are!


	5. Jack of all trades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the fifth chapter!
> 
> Also, I know I said this would be faster - but, I kinda got stuck updating my other fanfics [Consequences Of Our Actions and The Never Ending Tale] - from the Detective Conan fandom - anyone interested, please check them out !
> 
> Also, feedback. Pretty please! I really hope you guys are enjoying this! Take a sec to tell me about it - It'd please me greatly if you do!
> 
> SO, please, please let me know! Review guys - it takes only a minute, but greatly encourages me to write!
> 
> Enjoy!  
> .
> 
> Note: To those who might be curious, the chapter title refers to Naruto here - whose skills don't particularly point in any one direction and has Sasuke hella confused :P

"Here."

"Oh! Thank you."

Sasuke watched as she smiled – polite, reserved – took the blanket and placed it in the basket. The last of the washing collected after drying, she took the clothes back to Junichiro's room to fold and stack them. The man who'd helped her – after racking his brain a bit, Sasuke finally identified him as Shinji, Naruto's husband – seemed to be off duty today, as he followed after her, making small talk as she worked. The blonde's charge, Junichiro, was occupied with his sword training, leaving the maid free.

Sasuke on the other hand, was simply passing the time till he had to collect the doctor from the gates upon her arrival. What was her name again? Mari? No, no. Misa? Mitsumi? Hmm, no Mitsuki, perhaps?

Oh, who cared! Because, right now, watching Naruto and Shinji together –

_'...Shinji's a good guy and I knew I wanted to get married to him, so I did…'_

He was sure of one thing: they didn't act like a couple who were madly in love and decided to tie the knot at the age of sixteen and nineteen. His own parents had more tender moments, despite his father's usually cold exterior!

Under his watchful eye, he saw them lean towards each other, rubbing their noses softly against the other's as a form of affection. However, instead of bringing their bodies close to each other, Naruto held the clothes basket between them, rather than shifting it to a side on her hip. And Sasuke was suddenly struck by how fake this was – a _farce_ of a marriage. Intimate… but only to put on a show.

Sasuke turned away, fury burning in his veins. Why? Why was he allowing himself to be thus affected by the maid - her words, her actions, her behaviour?

Confused and irritable, he left the couple to their own devices, bounding off towards the gates; the doctor would be arriving soon and he'd rather not be late.

 

* * *

 

"So, how was your day?" Touka asked.

While they were on the same team, due to the new changes in guard postings, they now worked in different parts of the palace. Despite preferring to work alone, Sasuke found himself missing his company, oddly enough.

"Ryo just took over the second shift," Sasuke replied, "Why they're allowing for only a single shinobi guard is beyond me."

Touka shrugged, "Beats me. The Daimyo's decision though, must have had his reasons. But still," he grinned, "for you to be given a solo mission, and so soon! I mean, Ryotaro was a given, he's been part of the guard since yea–"

"Ryotaro?"

Sasuke's teammate blinked, "Yeah, Ryo? Oh, his full name is Ryotaro; doesn't like it for some reason, odd guy…"

Their conversation rested on light topics before Sasuke sighed, tired and a bit weary from the day's activities. He walked over to the window, opening to let some fresh breeze in.

"Oh, by the way, this came for you earlier this evening."

Sasuke caught the scroll flung at him. He grunted a thanks and turned it over to see if it bore any mark. Glancing at the corner, an uchiwa in red and white indicated that it was from home.

 _'Probably Kaa-san,'_ Sasuke thought as he opened it, activating his Sharingan in order to read quicker in case it was something urgent.

It was not his mother. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the sender's name – Itachi – printed neatly at the bottom. He ran over the letter again, wondering why his brother wanted to meet with him –

"Hey! Who's there?"

Sasuke snapped alert in seconds, the scroll tucked inside his uniform as he leapt out of the window, Touka right ahead of him. The brunet's cry had alerted the rest of the shinobi inside the house and in moments, they'd spread out in search for the intruder.

Ten minutes later, the search proved fruitless.

"Are you sure, Touka?"

"Of course I am, Manami!" he pointed towards Sasuke, "He saw it too, didn't you?"

Sasuke nodded, "My Sharingan could make out a chakra signature, but it was very faint. And it disappeared soon after."

"Must have used the Shunshin jutsu, whoever it was." Manami concluded. "Well, I've notified border patrol, they'll take care of it. Might be a thief, a random nuke-nin looking for something to steal."

"Is that common?" Sasuke asked quietly.

She looked at him, "With all that's being going on here these past few months, I'd rather not rule anything out. And, well, one can always hope."

Sasuke went to bed with mixed thoughts. His meeting with his brother now far from his mind, he lingered upon the unknown individual that he'd seen; or well, his Sharingan had seen. Just a small flare of chakra, but it had been enough for him to recognise it. He'd seen that barely present chakra before.

_'It belonged to that cloaked individual. Most definitely...the question now is – who was it?'_

* * *

 

It had been a week now, since the new rotation had been established and Sasuke's free time had been cut off majorly due to his guard duty. He spent eight hours, from 6 am to 2 pm, shadowing Kaori and her personal attendants throughout the day, before being relieved by Ryo who took the next shift of another eight hours. The final shift was taken by Shuzo, an older ninja Sasuke rarely interacted with.

The problem was, that Naruto being Junichiro, the third son's personal maid, and not Kaori's, Sasuke had no idea what she was up to. Junichiro still had his team of ninja who were tasked with his protection, so Sasuke had no excuse to spy on them either. Thus, the only times he saw the maid was when she brought in the little master to meet Kaori and his soon to be born niece or nephew, or when she took the child to the gardens.

"If nothing else," Sasuke muttered, an hour after watching Naruto play with Junichiro, "I can be sure of this. She certainly cares for the brat."

And Sasuke remembered her fierce defense of the kid when he'd been kidnapped long ago. Surely not everything was an act...yes, somethings about her struck him as odd, but otherwise she was the perfect doting maid all rich nobles had.

It was later in the evening, when the eight year old had finally gotten tired of all the running around and laid down on the blonde's lap for a nap, that Sasuke finally heard something of note. An elderly maid had made her way to the gardens, calling upon Naruto:

"Messages were sent out today – all visitors are prohibited till Daimyo-sama's grandson is born," she looked sharply at the blonde, "of course, this means Junichiro-sama's sword master too. The Daimyo will not compromise on his training though; do you have the necessary skills to tutor him?"

"Basic training, yeah." Naruto shrugged, "I've seen his level, I can take care of it."

 _'Take care of it?'_ Sasuke was incredulous. He remembered her holding a sword, facing the kidnappers and it was completely wrong! The stance, the balance – hell, even the way she held the weapon!

Ah, but you've admitted, haven't you? That she is keeping secrets? How do you know that it's not all an act? Sasuke reminded himself.

"I'll notify the Daimyo's assistant of that," the woman nodded, "and you'll be using the grounds next to the pond. It is visible from the courtroom and the master would like to be able to see his son. Precaution, you know. All this fishy business going on," the maid shuddered, "rattles my bones, it does."

Naruto grinned impishly at that. "Sure, sure, the old man can see his son practising his sword skills all he likes, and brag to the other courtiers, too, at the same time, right?"

Sasuke refrained from snorting. Yes, clearly an ulterior motive there. The other woman had recognised it too apparently, as she had to fight to keep her lips from twitching.

"Well, that's enough from you! No need to gossip about what the Daimyo's motives are – also, show some respect!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Sasuke's gaze lingered upon Naruto as the maids walked back to the mansion, a sleeping Junichiro cradled in the blonde's arms. The conversation had not yielded much, but it was start. He sighed, looking up at the darkening sky, for a moment glad that his brother was coming to the capital soon – he needed a willing listener. Someone who wouldn't question him unnecessarily and trust him to make the right decision. Before that, though…

 _'Sword fighting, huh?'_ Sasuke mused, _'I don't know whether you're a shinobi, or not, but you do have some odd skills in your arsenal. Quick reflexes, keen eyesight, midwifing and now… Kenjutsu?'_

Well, that was that then. The next time Junichiro had a training session, Sasuke would have to take a look.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was this chp? Let me know!
> 
> Also, any guesses as to who the cloaked individual is? I'd like to hear your thoughts! XD
> 
> .


	6. New Players

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, but college and exams are upon me, so schedule is a bit hectic here...
> 
> [IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ]
> 
> Also, I know many of you are slightly upset with the short chapters - believe me they're a challenge to write as well, considering it is not my usual style. This is specifically why I have chosen to do it - provide a challenge for myself - please respect that.
> 
> Finally, I'd like to say this - every chapter is important! There are plenty of plot points there, in each chapter! They all go through a very thorough editing to make sure it isn't full of pointless ramblings, so feel free to exercise you mind and come up with theories of where the fic is going!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> .
> 
> "Dialogues"
> 
> 'Thoughts'
> 
> .
> 
> Note: Pleas pay attention to small details. They matter. *nods seriously*

It had been quiet. A peaceful afternoon, idly passing by. Sasuke reveled these moments; all he had to do was silently keep watch over Kaori as she lounged in her private rooms. This particular day, the expecting mother had been browsing through a book, humming a soft tune under her breath, when she abruptly stilled.

Sasuke blinked at the complete cessation of her movements, wondering if she'd sensed something. A quick sweep of the area with his senses revealed nothing. He was about to pass it off as the woman's imagination –

"Hikari," The pregnant woman gasped suddenly, clutching at her stomach, "Hikari!"

 _'Oh no,'_ Sasuke glanced about, looking for Kaori's personal attendant – hadn't she just come by with a jug of water?

Kaori bit her lip, pulling in a scream just before it could escape, "Hikari!"

Sasuke cursed. How irresponsible! Where the hell was that maid? He watched silently as Kaori heaved, breathing heavily through her pain. He wavered, what should he do? His job was to remain still, silent and watchful. Nothing was ever planned for such a situation! Sasuke watched as panic splayed across the woman's face, lines around her mouth tightening as pain rippled through her body.

Kaori staggred to her feet, determined to get help if it would not come to her. Every couple of steps, she paused. The ninja watched carefully, as she made her way to the door.

Small steps.

Little steps.

Sasuke swallowed uneasily.

Her face contracted and she screamed.

"Argh! Hika-Hikari!"

Dammit! Sasuke was _not_ equipped to deal with this. He was a shinobi, not a nurse! What was even going on? Was she going into labour? They'd prepared a signal for that, but he'd rather be sure before alerting the entire squad.

"Help!" Kaori moaned, "Someone, anyone...Hikari?"

Where the hell were the servants? But Sasuke didn't get to think any further. A sudden jolt and Kaori's hand went to her back, mind dizzy as the world spun. In an instant, without thinking twice, Sasuke flickered to her side, facing away from her as she automatically clutched at his shoulder for support. Her knees buckled and the raven gracefully knelt along with her, politely not looking as he tried to regain her breath.

Rapid footsteps sounded down the hallway. Sasuke repressed a wince at the grip Kaori kept on his shoulder, thankful that someone had finally heard. Kaori shouted once more and the door flung open.

"Kaori-sama!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. It was Naruto!

* * *

Two hours later, when everything had calmed down, Naruto finally stepped away from the bed. Kaori was resting, the false-contractions having subsided. Sasuke was pleased to know that there were no problems, and the situation was not out of the ordinary for pregnant women. Hikari had rushed in only moments after Naruto, but had stepped back to allow the blonde to take charge, instead looking over Junichiro-sama since he'd come in with the maid during the emergency.

"I'll take Junichiro-sama to his room, Naruto," Hikari said, "You've got experience with this and Shuichiro-sama would prefer his wife to be under your care at such a time."

Naruto nodded, not protesting. It was after they'd left, she turned to the corner, where Sasuke leaned against the wall in plain sight, not bothering to go back into the shadows in case they needed an extra hand.

"Hey, thanks!" Naruto beamed, "It was so lucky you were there, really! And just in time to help Kaori-sama! I'm glad you were there today, I mean, it wasn't your job to, but you still helped so, yeah –"

Sasuke smirked, "You're rambling."

"Oh geez! I totally am, aren't I?" She gave a small embarrassed laugh.

This wasn't how Sasuke had expected his day to go, but somehow, talking to Naruto made things different. More real, personal. The moment she'd rushed in, taking stock of the situation, ordering him around as they both tried to calm Kaori-san and help her relax...she'd stopped being 'the spy' or a target to keep an eye on. She seemed human. More... _solid_. Present.

"I'm Naruto!"

A bright grin was directed his way. Sasuke knew that if he hadn't ever known of her before, if this had been their first meeting, he'd only have thought of her as the kind and helpful maid. One with a cheerful personality and infectious smiles.

"Sasuke."

And that was what made her so dangerous.

* * *

Things didn't change after Sasuke first talked with the blonde maid. Not drastically. But in a way, it already had.

A not very well known fact, that Sasuke himself realised after overhearing a few guards talking, was that the married staff did not reside in the servant quarters near the basement. No, quite like the shinobi, they'd too been given an entire complex; however, unlike the ninja forces, nearer to the mansion than farther.

This explained why he'd never seen Naruto inside the palace after hours – she was not supposed to be there. Sasuke had taken note of the small building on his first tour 'round the place, but quickly dismissed it, assuming it was where the night guards rested when he saw a couple of men sleeping in the daytime.

Sasuke would have cursed his oversight, but he couldn't blamed entirely. After all, a month ago, he'd had no reason to know that Naruto was married! All in all, for a servant's residence, it was rather well maintained. A canopy of trees surrounded the place and it was in running distance to one of the backdoors of the main mansion.

Which was why Sasuke found himself occupying a branch of a tree, whose boughs conveniently spread out over a second floor balcony. It was wonderful place to keep an eye from. He could perfectly see anyone entering the house and at the same time, was totally unseen to those who might chance a look above. The entire purpose of this was to gather information about the blonde, naturally. What he'd not anticipated was the nature of the information.

It started innocently. Naruto returned back to the quarters late afternoon and Sasuke surmised that she might have forgotten something – there was no one else in the quarters and he doubted she'd come to exchange information or anything of the sort at such a time.

Surprisingly, the blonde had stayed put for nearly half an hour, doing absolutely nothing. All she had done was stand under the trees, a little away from the one Sasuke was perched upon, and wait. Whoever she was waiting for, Sasuke was beginning to think, had stood her up.

But no, another half hour passed. And someone did arrive.

The person was cloaked and it drew the teen's suspicions, but Sasuke relaxed when he realised it was not a ninja. A man, by his way of walking and a quick look under the Sharingan proved that it was a civilian.

"Hey, Naruto. I'm sorry for calling you out so suddenly." The figure reached out towards her, but the blonde did not reply and moved out of his reach. This had him hesitating.

Sasuke sat up in interest – what was the nature of their relationship exactly? The tone, posture, words...he had an inkling, but waited for confirmation before he'd voice it out to himself.

"And, I – I apologise for keeping you waiting."

 _'A formal speech pattern, not used to owing up to his mistakes,'_ Sasuke furrowed his brows, _'All point towards a high-class upbringing. Yet, this man is here, secretly meeting with a maid?'_

"Hmpf! No need for your sorries and all," Naruto scoffed, "I'm used to it. Kept waiting."

A sigh of breath, "Listen, Naruto, I –"

"Leave it!" She raised a hand, "Did anyone see you coming?"

The man swept a look around them, denying the claim. Sasuke subtly moved back, allowing the leaves to give him cover.

"See, I – I just returned, and I heard you accepted – I mean, you came…"

"Jut get to the point already."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. That was not how Naruto usually talked; so short and clipped. _Annoyed._

"You want me to get to the point?" The man snapped suddenly, throwing off his hood, "Well, I shall get to the point! Why come? Why come at all, if it was as a wife to a kitchen staff!"

 _'What? This was getting random. Come? To the palace? The way he speaks, it is as if Naruto came here on his bidding. Besides,'_ Sasuke narrowed his eyes _, 'that face is familiar, but I don't recognise it very well…'_

"I don't see what the problem is. You're concerned about the marriage?" Naruto asked.

"Yes! If only you were not wed –"

"Excuse you! You're engaged! You've got no right to tell me anything –"

"What about us then?"

"–when you've already given up!"

"You're the one who gave up!"

 _'Well,'_ Sasuke thought dryly as their voices slowly rose, _'I was right. They definitely used to be a couple.'_

"Gave up?!" Naruto's next words came out as a screech and Sasuke cringed before straining his ears as the voice became low again, "Uzumaki Naruto doesn't give up! Never ever, ya hear? I didn't give up, I – I just washed my hands off you! Yeah! "

"Naruto – don't say that…" the person implored, finally placing a hand on her shoulder "And you're here...that means something, right?"

"No."

"Please...!"

"Stop it! You're engaged and we both know you are never gonna tell your father about me –"

"I would have! I would have! You're the one who pulled away...married, of all things!"

Naruto snorted. It was not a pleasant sound, "No – you say that now. But I know what I would have ended up as – your mistress on the side, while you hitched up with the woman your father picked out. After all, no noble would ever accept a penniless, orphan girl as your wife, would they? Especially – what do they say? Oh yeah – one as _uncultured_ as me!"

 _'Son of a nobleman, I was right,'_ Sasuke noted, trying to detach himself from the conversation playing out. This was not something he'd ever imagined to stumble across. He had no sympathy for either party, however, the relationship was clearly never going to work. But, at the same time, it didn't stop him from being curious about the man. _'Did I see him in the Daimyo's court?'_

Naruto's hands found purchase on her hips as she leaned forward, towards the man, but the gesture was not intimate in the slightest. Her shoulders seemed to be trembling from an unnamed emotion. "You would have been shamed," she laughed mockingly, "and your position in society... _dignity_ was not worth risking for me. Leave me alone – I am here at your request, I will help you, I have promised that. At least I never break my promises."

"Naruto...I don't plan on breaking mine – just give me a bit of time, just a bit –"

"No."

The man fell silent.

"Is it truly over for us?"

Surprisingly there was no reply. Sasuke wondered what it meant, but either way, one thing was clear. Mibuchi – or as she spoke of herself – _Uzumaki_ Naruto, had more layers to her than he'd thought.

Sasuke quietly departed; he heard too much, more than he expected to. How much of it was play-acting and how much genuine? He didn't know. But it was something he wanted to find –

 _There!_ That flickering chakra! As if someone was trying to keep himself hidden, but slipped up every now and then. Sasuke didn't know when he'd activated the Sharingan. But he quickly made his way towards where he'd seen it. His feet led him to the gardens.

_'Here? This place is deserted –'_

"Hello."

Sasuke turned, surprised though he didn't show it. A pale skinned man with short dark hair stood before him, garden shears in his hand. Sasuke blinked, more than a little surprised at the physical similarities between them, but paid it no mind.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, I'm the new gardener." A bland smile played upon the man's lips, "My name is Sai."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, yes, we finally find out the identity of the cloaked individual who came with the Hokage - Danzo's in the game, baby! :P
> 
> Now - as for the guy Naruto was talking to - I know I've given no clue about him, don't worry, he's a minor character, but he does have some influence. Any guesses as to who he might be? He's an OC, but you can always try and guess the role he plays! ^^;


	7. Behind the Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! One set of exams finally over! Another round of them will be coming up mid-April, then one more in May - please give me your wishes! But, I finally got time to type out one chapter - it was long overdue! Thanks for the wait, all you of you!
> 
> Also - PLEASE, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! It makes me really glad to know that you guys are reading my fic and liking it - just a few short words should do :)
> 
> .
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Note: Keep in mind that all thoughts are just that - thoughts. Nothing is fact unless proven!

Naruto sighed as she put Junichiro-sama to bed after an exhausting day. Keeping up multiple facets of her personality was tough. And this time she was really stretching herself thin:

 

First, marrying Shinji, the cook who lived in her village and had wooed her for a long time till she’d finally agreed. It was a pity that she’d only done so because he had a job within the palace and she needed him to get an in. It would be quite heartbreaking for him when she would leave him – and she would, she knew.

 

Secondly, playing a spy for the group who wanted to stage a coup on the Daimyo. Not that she supported them one bit, no. But it was the easiest way to keep track of the darker side of things in case she wanted to counter them; which was why when they’d approached her to be an inside-eye, she’d agreed. She had no interest in the coup, in fact, it would be best for her if it did not happen. Which brought her to the third part.

 

Her brief dalliance with Shintaro, the Daimyo’s second son – at first it had been in the hopes that he would provide a way to get closer to the Daimyo. She should have known better though, as that quickly fell apart. However, at the same time, he had been the one who’d asked her to come to the palace, worried about untoward happenings and helped her gain the trust of his father.

 

All this was only for one reason – Konoha. Or more specifically, to infiltrate Konoha. Naturally, there were plenty of ways to do that, but she was not known as a master of her craft for no reason at all. The security of a Hidden Village was nothing to be taken lightly. Add in the factor of nearly half the population being ninja’s, while she was not…yes, it would be stupid to infiltrate it directly.

 

But, no matter what, she _had_ to do it. Hence she chose this track – via the Fire Capital. If she was trusted by the Daimyo, if she could whisper into his ears softly, before carefully weaving threads that would never make him suspect her…it would be the perfect infiltration. However, what she’d not anticipated was Sasuke.

 

Her first memory of the shinobi had been when Junichiro-sama had been kidnapped, and back then Sasuke had appeared completely dismissive of her, nearly scorning her presence. She had ignored it. After all, as a civilian, she was a hindrance to the mission. She’d be equally distasteful if someone tried to interfere in her job as a spy.

 

But then he’d joined the Daimyo’s guard. And things had changed. She had felt his chakra sporadically at first; in courtrooms, the gardens, during visits to the town-market. Then, suddenly, it had become a constant. He was always there. _Always._

 

Had she slipped up somehow? Given something up? It couldn’t be! She was careful, oh so very careful…how –? Why? Why would he take to following her around?

 

So, when the opportunity had come, during the Hokage’s visit, she advised the Daimyo to place Sasuke as one of the guard’s for Kaori-sama and her unborn child. He was skilled, she knew. She’d seen it back when Sasuke and his team had fought off those bandits who’d kidnapped Junichiro-sama. Having him far away from her part of the castle, busy with his new job, she’d thought – _hoped_ – that he wouldn’t have time to stalk her anymore.

 

Apparently not.

 

No matter what she was doing; playing with Junichiro-sama, laundering clothes, spending time with Shinji; he was there to keep an eye on her.

 

Then, she came to a conclusion – was he…did he… _fancy_ her?

 

She got her looks from her mother and would never hesitate in saying that Uzumaki Kushina had been a beauty. It would not be the first time – after all, she’d had…. How many suitors now? A simple cook, a high-standing Nobleman’s son, and plenty of nameless men who’d found her appealing. Attractive. Had craved her attention.

 

It had been uncomfortable at first, to be desired so, but she’d learned to turn it into another skill of hers. Why not take advantage of what has been presented to you?

 

There was one tiny flaw in her theory – she was pretty sure Sasuke knew she was married.

 

_‘But then again, it doesn’t stop scores of people of wanting what they shouldn’t, does it?’_

 

Thus, she’d taken the first step. At the earliest presented opportunity, she’d introduced herself. Smiled, acted charmingly, sweet and innocent. But Sasuke’s expression had remained a polite mask.

 

 _‘He’s shinobi,_ **_of course_ ** _they learn to suppress their emotions, keep a blank face, follow orders like a simple-minded soldier.’_ Naruto huffed.

 

It was one of the reasons she never understood the appeal of belonging to a Hidden Village.

 

“But no matter, Sasuke-san,” Naruto grinned, “I’ll figure out what’s going on in your head soon enough. I don’t need you tailing me around when I have important things to do. And if wrapping you around my little finger will do that job, well, I’m all for it.”

* * *

Sasuke kept to his post with religious intensity for the next couple of days. He needed time to process all that he’d witnessed, learned.

 

First there was Naruto, the maid. Was she a spy as he’d first assumed? Or was she working for the Daimyo? The conversation earlier with the Nobleman’s son seemed to suggest she’d been called here to help – and that was another thing. Called to help? That suggested an arsenal of skills, an arsenal he had yet to discover.

 

Then there was Sai, the gardener. Who was not a simple gardener either. As a shinobi from Konoha – for there was no doubt he was the mysterious ninja who'd come with the Hokage – he should have technically joined the Daimyo’s guard. However, he seemed to be working undercover. It suggested that something was afoot, just like he had suspected. And the Hokage was aware of it.

 

_“My name is Sai.”_

 

_Sasuke gave a terse smile, “You appear to be new. When did you join?"_

 

_"Oh, not very long! But I am very good and the maintenance staff needed some help in the gardens."_

 

The conversation had barely gone further than that. Sasuke had gotten nothing from him. Sai seemed like a blank individual; every time a question was asked of him, he would have a reasonable answer ready, but nothing else. Polite, cold, distant.

 

Something was going on, however and there were too many unknowns at this point. He couldn't trust anyone –  not even Sai, who seemed to be the Hokage's plant in the Daimyo's court.

 

"Block! Step back, step back! Be nimble on your feet, Junichiro-sama!"

 

Sasuke blamed this on the weeks of playing stalker, because the courtyard was noisy, and yet Naruto's voice pierced through it all to reach his ears. Before he could think of ignoring it and going back to his quarters for some well deserved rest, his feet were carrying him towards it.

 

There she was. Instead of her usual yukata – the standard maid uniform – she was clad in a short green tunic and black pants that come up to her calves. She was also wearing sandals, not slippers. The expression on her face was one of concentration, eyes sharp as they tracked her charge and words both reprimanding and encouraging as she corrected him. For the first time, Sasuke could look at her and see something other than a "maid". Naruto looked like an experienced fighter, movements fast and precise.

 

 _'There is no sign of her fumbling, scared expression that I'd seen back then, during that mission.'_ Sasuke leaned back against the trunk of a tree, chakra coating the soles of her feet when he remembered, _‘But wait...that time, she had not molded chakra. In fact, so far, I have never seen her do so. Even the most seasoned spies fall back to instinctual responses upon given a sudden stimulus_ – _or we would never be able to extract information from a trained shinobi. Even Sai slipped up, using chakra in however small amounts...'_

 

But not her. Not Naruto. When the carriage had lurched, they had all remained still, seated in their positions. Naruto had not. Had it been truly because she was incapable of using chakra, or had she foreseen such a chance and acted on it to help her escape?

 

Sasuke shook his head, _‘Don’t get carried away! Even she couldn’t have anticipated that. I need to stop assuming things about her… Even she has her limits, her moments when she slips up. That was one of them. It is not enough to say with certainty, but it definitely brings up doubts – can she mold chakra?’_

 

And if Naruto couldn’t… then was Sasuke wrong? Was Naruto not a ninja – were her actions only a product of his overactive imaginations?

 

“That is not how Kawata-sensei taught me!” Junichiro’s complaint brought Sasuke out of his thoughts.

 

“In a fight, you cannot put all those niceties in use, Junichiro-sama!” Naruto laughed, “You must act fast and use dirty tricks to win!” The boy frowned, clearly doubting her words. Naruto tacked on, not giving him time to retort, “Be victorious in your battles, Junichiro-sama, for the winners are the ones capable of mercy.”

 

“Eh? I don’t get it…”

 

Sasuke, quite honestly, didn’t get it either. The winners were capable of mercy? To win in a fight, you must be merciless. You cannot hesitate. You strike first and lower your shield last.

 

_‘From her words, she doesn’t sound like a maid at all. More like a –’_

 

Sasuke’s musings and the sword-fighting lesson, both were brought to an abrupt end then. The sound of a bugle pierced the air and Sasuke was immediately brought to attention. He recognised what it was – it had been decided upon weeks ago.

 

It was the signal.

 

_Kaori-sama was giving birth._

**Author's Note:**

> How was it? Let me know guys!
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> All of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let me know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages me to write faster! But, thank you all the same :)
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